Many newer systems...
Many newer systems include software-based modems that are not supported by the manufacturer under Linux. If you require a dial-up connection for Internet access, see Chapter 5 and check out http://tldp·org/HOWTO/Modem-HOWTO-2·html before you start the installation process. Many other devices, such as sound and video capture cards, can also be used under Linux. For more information about hardware compatibility, see the Hardware Compatibility HOWTO at http://tldp·org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/.
Workstations
In most cases, workstation users will want to run the X Window System (X11). The ability to run X11 depends on compatibility with the video chipset on your video card or mainboard. Debian 4.0 includes version 7.1 of X·org, which includes better autodetection than the XFree86 X11 system previously used.
Servers
A Linux server installation generally consists of only the minimum set of packages required to provide the service for which it was designed. In particular, this means that servers do not usually have a graphical interface installed. Server hardware is generally more expensive than workstation hardware, although you can still run smaller servers on less-expensive desktop hardware. If you are planning to store important data on your server, you will want to look into a RAID array for storage. A number of inexpensive ATA RAID controllers work well under Linux.
NOTE
More information about ATA RAID compatibility is available at the following sites:
http://linuxmafia·com/faq/Hardware/sata·html
http://ibiblio·org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/
Hardware-HOWTO·html#IDERAID